Equilibrium
by HappyFace1886
Summary: Squalo promised Yamamoto to take care of Haru, but never thought things would have ended up like this... S86/SqualoHaru


**Equilibrium**

ONESHOT

Summary: Squalo promised Yamamoto to take care of Haru, but never thought things would have ended up like this... S86/SqualoHaru

My lack of KHR knowledge might make some things untrue or some characters OOC and I guess I'll explain some stuff at the end of the chapter, just so I won't spoil things! XD

I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn because if I did, there would be a lot more Haru loving!

Please forgive any mistakes, both character-wise and grammatically wise. lol, i still don't understand the beta system thing and I don't really have time to re-read and edit things.

* * *

**Equilibrium**

_HappyFace1886_

Sharp dark eyes glared at the outside world in irritation as he sat leaning against the cold, jagged wall of the cave. His knee was propped up and his sword arm rested on it. The wind outside howled angrily and he could hear the clap of thunder accompanying it.

Shifting his gaze slightly, he glanced at the slumbering girl who was leaning against him. Her small hand clutched the black cloak draped over her small frame while the other clung onto him. Each time storm raged loudly, she would whimper from within her throat before snuggling closer into his side.

* * *

"_Voi!" Squalo roared as he grabbed Yamamoto by the collar. "Are you crazy? The Varia aren't some petty grunts used to be some little girl's babysitters!"_

_Yamamoto, however, smiled good-naturedly as he untangled himself from Squalo's grip. "Please Squalo-san? It's too dangerous for Haru-chan to be in Japan and we know that it'll be the safest for Haru-chan if she stays with the Varia."_

_Squalo growled and resisted the urge to smash the irritating brats face in. "Why me out of the rest?"_

"_Because the others will probably make her cry. Besides," Yamamoto said with a shrug before giving Squalo that smile, that fucking annoying smile that hinted a seriousness that made Squalo, once again, realize that Yamamoto was more of a threat than people realized. "I know you'll take good care of her."_

"_This is important to you." Translation: She's important to you._

_The seriousness flickered and this time Yamamoto gave him a casual grin. "Haru-chan's important to all of us."_

* * *

It wasn't easy taking care of the girl and it wasn't because she was demanding or whiny.

It was because just like that damn Yamamoto, she was just so fucking annoying.

* * *

"_Squalo-san," she chirped as she followed him closely from behind. "Where are we going?"_

_He had half a mind to grunt and ignore her, but last time he did that, she had badgered him until he thought he was going to go insane. So, he picked up the pace and snarled. "We're heading to the training grounds."_

"_Hahi?" she jogged in order to catch up to him and began to walk beside him this time. "Why are we going to the training grounds?"_

_Because ever since he had been stuck in babysitter duty, he hadn't been given the usual amount of missions. He was growing bored out of his mind just following this girl around all day! Huffing angrily, he took advantage of his long legs, taking long strides that Haru literally needed to run in order to follow him._

"_To train," he answered through gritted teeth._

"_By yourself?" Haru asked, confused._

"_You don't always need a partner to train," he yelled. Gods, he needed a drink. If this girl could fight, then it wouldn't be as bad since he could continuously spar with her, but she was a regular, civilian. There was nothing he could do with her! And then there was her constant badgering of questions. Curiosity was said to be a part of the intellect, but the endless questions were driving him mad._

_Strangely enough, she didn't respond to this and followed him quietly._

* * *

He had seen her as a brainless annoyance that needed protection and he had only agreed to this because of his begrudging respect towards Yamamoto and also because of his connections towards Vongola. Sure, he'd abandon it all if Xanxus was going to rebel against Vongola, but since Xanxus didn't appear to have any plans of total annihilation of the Vongola, he was stuck with the annoying woman.

But Squalo had been wrong.

Annoying, that she was, but she was anything but brainless.

* * *

_As Squalo swung the heavy sword around, he felt his body relishing the feel of freedom. For too long he had been trapped inside the damn headquarters of the Varia. It felt good to be able to finally move as he pleased._

_From afar, he could feel Haru's eyes carefully observing him. This was the second time they had come to the training grounds –the last one having been two weeks ago, much to his frustration- and just like before, Haru was sitting on top of a nearby boulder, watching him. And though she continued to remain annoying, still bothering him with her silly questions, just like the last time they had come to the training grounds, she was silent, carefully observing him._

_At first, he had thought it was because she was frightened by his strength, but that couldn't be it. Her normal companions were those Vongolian brats. She should be used to these monstrous skills by now. Besides, if she was scared, she wouldn't have continued to harass him after the first training session._

_He never questioned her._

_And she never answered his silent question._

_But at the end of his second time training, she wandered up to him with her hands clasped behind her and a cheerful smile on her face. "Squalo-san, feel free to come out here and train whenever you want. Haru doesn't mean sitting still for a few hours if it means Squalo-san can have fun."_

* * *

He didn't know how to properly respond to that and had just yelled at her that he wasn't doing this for fun, but because he had to be in top condition if he wanted to be the best. But even in his head, it was a bit of a lie. He enjoyed swordsmanship or else he wouldn't have continued it.

Still, it irked him that she said such words to him.

What made her think that he liked fighting?

Hell, what made her think that he thought this was fun?

It wasn't until a few days later he had demanded answers from her.

* * *

_Haru smiled at him._

_Damn that smile. Because of Yamamoto, Squalo was really starting to hate anyone who smiled. But unlike Yamamoto, Haru's smiles were carefree with her emotions perfectly displayed on her face. She had no hidden motives and whenever something was on her mind, she often expressed it._

"_Because Squalo-san looks so happy whenever he's training." She answered simply._

"_Voi! I never look happy!" he snarled. And that was true, unless he was beating the crap out of someone._

_Haru looked up at him with her big brown eyes and he began to swear in his head. That was another annoying thing about this damn girl. There were not many people who would dare to look into his eyes because they were too afraid of him, but this girl always blatantly did so. And she didn't do it because she wanted to challenge him, but to merely show him the smile in her eyes._

_Gods, he was really starting to hate smiles._

"_That's not true," she said with a giggle before turning her attention back to the thick book she had been reading. "Whenever you're training, you have this big grin on your face."_

_He stared at her wide eyed and opened his mouth to refute this when Lussuria butted in._

"_Now, now Haru-chan, I'm sure that's just him grinning maniacally at the thought of shredding someone to pieces."_

"_Voi! You stay out of this!" Squalo yelled while Haru's giggles grew in volume._

* * *

"Squalo-san?" Haru murmured, her voice thick and husky with sleep. She rubbed her eyes before looking up at him. Much to her surprise, she found him staring at him. Noticing he was caught, he grunted and looked away before she could say anything else.

"Go back to sleep. The storm's too strong for us to be out." He said gruffly.

* * *

_A month after Yamamoto had brought Haru to Varia's headquarters, they we__re attacked. Squalo and the other Varia members present had gathered for a meeting with the remaining members and Xanxus via the computer, leaving Haru to wander through the library of the Varia._

_And Squalo would never forget the day he felt his heart drop when he heard that Haru had been taken._

_Later, he would blame it on the fact that his pride as a Varia was on the line since he couldn't protect one measly little girl, but secretly, he knew that wasn't the case._

_No matter how much he denied it, he cared for that annoying little girl._

_They may have not known each other for long, but something akin to companionship had grown during their short time together. Maybe it was due to her empathetic nature or her carefree innocence... maybe it was even because she would shower him with endless questions with such childlike enthusiasm... but either way, one thing was for sure._

_Miura Haru was under his protection._

_And whoever had taken her away from him was going to pay._

_Dearly._

* * *

"Haru's no longer tired," she murmured softly, continuing to rest her head comfortably against him. "Thank you for letting me sleep for so long..."

* * *

_None of the other Varia members had gone with him on the rescue mission, not that Squalo had expected them to._

_This was his problem and he was to solve it alone._

_And he was perfectly fine with that._

_It just meant that he, with his own swords, could slaughter the very people stupid enough to dare take Haru away from him._

* * *

"Just go back to sleep," he grumbled. "Annoying woman."

* * *

_The explosion had been so beautiful. He had laughed so much, rushing into the array of destruction so perfectly displayed within him. There were so much trash around him, all feebly attempting to defend himself from their attack, but none were spared from his anger._

_Each time his sword sliced through the limbs of the nearby scum..._

_Each time he could feel the blood dripping down his swords..._

_He felt his soul relishing each and every terrified scream._

_They would pay for each drop of her blood they had spilled._

_Squalo's first priority had been rescuing Haru from the pathetic mafia wannabe's base, but when he had found her beaten body covered in blood, he had seen red._

_They had dared laid a hand on her._

_They had dared laid a hand on what belonged to him!_

_And for that, they had to pay._

_They had to pay with their fucking lives!_

* * *

"Squalo-san?" though Haru tried to fight it, she could feel her eyes starting to close. This cloak was just way to comfortable for its own good.

* * *

"_H-Haru... Haru is very sorry for causing so much trouble." She whispered as she followed the long haired man from behind. It was difficult and painful for her to speak, especially since her jaw was badly bruised from the beating she had taken. But still, she continued to speak, wringing her hands on top of her shirt._

_Squalo stopped walking._

"_I... I know I'm weak and can't r-really do much for... for anyone," Haru tried to control her voice, but tears were already starting to gather. Looking down, she hoped he wouldn't turn around to see her cry. Squalo-san was a man of strength, a man who appreciated power. He would scoff at the sight of her tears. "I'm... I'm sor-."_

_A warm weight had fallen on top of her head and her vision had become obscured. Startled, Haru looked up and saw Squalo staring down at her with his piercing stare._

"_Put that on. There's a storm coming." He said before continuing down the path._

"_B-But what about Squalo-san?" she stammered, trying to hand it back to him._

"_Put it on before you get sick because of the rain!" he snarled loudly._

"_No! Squalo-san will need it more than Haru!"_

"_Woman, put on the fucking coat now!"_

"_No!"_

* * *

"What?" he grunted gruffly.

He would never, ever admit this out loud and would rather take on Xanxus any day than to ever confess to this humiliating truth... but he had missed this.

Her quiet presence and her endless chatter.

* * *

"_Just because you don't fight doesn't mean you're weak." He spoke softly, surprising Haru. Squalo was not known for his silence, but his booming presence. To hear him lower his voice shocked her more than the loudest shout he could muster._

_Squalo couldn't handle this._

_After finally forcing her to wear the damn cloak, she had been so silent. The small distraction he had managed with the cloak-fiasco had quickly ended and had placed on this suffocating silence._

_Where was that stupid bubbly smile of hers?_

_Where was that voice that knew no end?_

"_Strength often comes from drive... there is a goal someone has and they will do anything to attain it." Faintly, Squalo could hear Yamamoto's voice in his head._

"_**Haru-chan's important to all of us."**_

_Damn brat..._

"_You just being your idiotic self is what makes the people around you so strong."_

* * *

Haru smiled serenely, holding onto Squalo tightly as she whispered softly. "Thank you..."

* * *

**::owari::**

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**AN:** I hope you guys who wanted S86 liked this. It was really hard to write this because I don't know much about Squalo. XP But if you guys like it then my work here is done. I know some probably wanted intense romance, but since I'm not familiar with Squalo, I wasn't sure how to go about it. So in the end, this is kind of more friendshippy that borders romance... though if you want, it's not hard to believe that it's romance either... hehe...

Review please~!


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